Seeds that bloom
by Sabaine
Summary: <html><head></head>Rowan, she wishes she could run from this world to escape the pain she feels. Two years ago, her life ceased to hold happiness. Escaping to Thedas unintentionally brings heartache and yet more joy. Will her soul ever be whole again? Bad language, smut, gore, angst, humour. OCxFenris, OCxMHawke</html>
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Broken branches

I raise my glass of vodka and drink it in one, using the back of my hand to wipe away the tears that had fallen down my cheek as I did so. I look at Liam, the bartender and nod. He pauses for a second before filling it up. I reach inside my pocket and produce a grubby fiver which I hold out to him. He wears a sympathetic smile and shakes his head a little.

'Not today sugar cube,' he says softly. Fresh tears prick my eyes as he takes pity on me, I go to knock this one back but he places his hand on my arm. 'Just, take this one slow, okay?' He suggests. I look at him, wanting to throw his hand from me and scream at him, but I can't. He has a point. I lower the glass and nod, letting my hair fall over my eyes. He smiles weakly and moves down the bar to serve someone else. It's not particularly busy, it's a Tuesday. I couldn't give a damn what day it is, it's the date that matters to me. It's three in the afternoon, a bit early for straight spirits some might say, but I couldn't give a fucking damn about those people either. I watch Liam for a while, a distraction to say the least. He was a nice lad, twenty three, kind beyond his years. At six foot two he still towered over my five foot eight, something he loved to tease me about. Soft brown curls that swung by his ears, often pinned back for his work. I used to reply to his teasing by saying he looks like a character out of Supernatural. Sam. It always wound him up. But I haven't teased him in months. Looking at Liam meant that I didn't see myself in the mirror that was along the back of the bar. But I caught my reflection as I took a sip of my drink.

Pale skin. Freckles. Long dark hair that had neither a curl but wasn't quite straight. I have massive bags under my eyes and I've lost weight. I'm pretty gaunt. Attractive, I think sarcastically. My large hoodie and jeans, feel comfortable but more loose than usual. The only unique thing about me is my eyes. They're a brownish colour, flecked with red. More of a copper really, but catch them in the right light and they look redish. My parents always used to say that's how they came up with my name, and it suits me. According to some. I wipe my nose and stare at the clear liquid that was currently causing a burning sensation at the back of my throat.

'A year,' I mumble to myself, feeling more tears fall down my cheeks. I don't give a shit what anyone thinks, a young twenty two year old woman, drinking her sorrows in a back alley bar. They can all go hang. I sip my drink again and a sob breaks from my lips and causes me to cough a little. 'A fucking year,' I whine, burying my head in my arms as my tears flow freely. I feel a hand on my shoulder and I don't even bother reacting. I don't care.

'Come on, sugar cube, let's get you home,' Liam says softly pulling my arm and making me sit up. He looks over at his boss, Jamie, who nods and takes the glass away from me.

'Make sure she gets some sleep, I'll cover you,' Jamie says simply, tipping the shot of vodka down the sink under the bar.

'I'll not be long,' Liam says pulling me upright off the stool. I stand pathetically, unable to stop crying. Luckily, I suppose, most of the patrons are regulars and know me, and what today means. They all sit quietly and try not to stare.

'Take your time, lad.' Jamie nods as he takes over.

Liam smiles and wraps his arm around my shoulder. 'Come on sugar cube, time we got you home,' he murmurs quietly as he leads me out the bar. We only get halfway down the street before it truly hits, as I hear the bells from the local church ring out four. It was this time last year that I got the phone call that pretty much ended my life. My legs buckle as the conversation runs through my head. Liam holds most my weight as I sob and scream. He eventually just picks me up and carries me as I bawl into his top. Most people would think I'm overreacting, it just means they don't understand and they have no idea what I've been through. I don't live far from the bar, and soon we're at my flat. My flat now. Liam fishes out my keys from my hoodie pocket and unlocks the door. He wanders in and puts me gently on the sofa.

'Thanks...Liam,' I say forcing myself to act human.

'Don't worry about it, I can't even begin to understand or say I know what you're feeling,' he says simply as he grabs the blanket from the armchair and wraps it around me. 'Just make sure you look after yourself tonight, I'll pop in tomorrow to check up on you. I doubt you want me here today,' he says putting my keys on the side. I want to disagree with him, but the truth is that I don't want any human interaction. I'm not exactly pleasant company.

'Thank you,' I mumble. He drops a chaste kiss on the top of my head before he walks out the door. I sigh and pull off my boots, I'm such a fool. I'm not handling this well at all, but I can't bring myself to do something constructive or positive. I pull the quilt up around myself and click the TV on, some noise is needed. Something distracting. All I can think about is the half bottle of whiskey that I have in the cupboard that I had previously forgotten about until now. Typical isn't it? I don't want to drink heavily, but I don't want to even think or remember anything about today. I sigh and rub my eyes as I get up and stumble into the kitchen; they can bitch and complain at me tomorrow, but until then, I would rather see the world through an amber haze.

…

I feel that my teeth have dissolved and the paste become stuck to my tongue. I cough and scrape the fuzz off my tongue with my top teeth. I am freezing, which isn't normal. I rub my eyelids and pick the scum out my eyes as while I'm blinking, I look around. What? This isn't right. Explains why I'm cold though. I'm outside. The blanket half wrapped around me, only wearing socks, my jeans and hoodie. I don't remember coming outside. Then again, I don't remember a lot about yesterday. I cough and rub my temples, my head is pounding and my stomach feels incredibly fragile. Oh my god, I feel sick. Incredibly so. I look around a little more, I'm in a forest, early morning it looks like, there's still dew on the leaves. I don't recognise the woods, which is strange because I've been to all the forests around my way. I pick myself up and wobble as I do so. Being hungover isn't really the best state of mind for what situation I'm in. Hungover and incredibly depressed, I haven't forgotten the reason for yesterday's drinking. It's a clear stab in my heart each day and will only get worse.

I shakily begin to walk, I'm not doing any good just standing here. I need to get home. Liam will worry if he visits and I don't answer. I need to apologise to him, definitely. I think about what I'm going to say to him as I walk, well stumble. These woods are thick and dense and to my horrific discovery I find spider webs the literal size of me, spun between the trees. I hate spiders and the thought that I might find big ones here, well it sobers me up in an instant. I'm glad I'm wearing thick socks, the bracken is sharp and there are odd white bits here and there. I curiously bend down and pick up a piece, flat, white, quite sharp where it's been snapped. Reminds me of ...bone. Oh my fucking god, is this all bone?! I spin around clutching the blanket to me. I'm surrounded by webs and bone. Fuck me, this is going to be like a scene out of the Hobbit. I swear down if I see a spider bigger than my hand, well no that's a lie, if I see a spider at all, I'll freak out. Totally flip.

I begin to run to where I feel the web is thinnest. Praying that I'm not getting deeper into the damn nest. I can feel my breath hot in my throat and my heart pound painfully. Where am I? And how did I get here? Unfortunately I run to what seems to be a fucking mountain! Seriously, I simply get to this massive expanse of rock and there's no visible way around or over. Brilliant. I look over my shoulder into the trees, there's very little web here and I can't hear or see anything. Not that that gives me any confidence at all. My head is throbbing and I'm not in the mood for this shit. I'm tired, hungry, dehydrated and pissed off. I just want to be at home. I sigh. Well, this isn't getting me anywhere. I need to get to civilisation and move on from there. I look around and notice planks of wood. Okay, planks means built by humans, not spiders. I'm hoping. I walk towards it, stepping over a rather large log in the process, god knows what I look like. To my sort of relief, I see a tunnel. It's been propped with planks and looks like an mine. Admittedly it looks abandoned, but it's the only way I have to go. There's no way I'm going through the spiders and I'm hoping it goes through the mountain. It doesn't look like anyone comes through this way, so it seems good. Now, I get that I could be totally fucking up my life right now if I go in here, but what other choice do I have?

There's an odd silence in the forest before I hear a hiss. Making me jump, I slowly turn around and see the Goliath of spiders. It's larger than me. It's fangs glisten with some unknown liquid and it crawls from the nearest tree. I am so scared I can't even begin to contemplate what's running through my mind. I'm too shitting well scared to scream. I simply back up a little. It does this weird clicky thing and hisses again and that's enough to flick the primal monkey switch in my head, aptly named, ''when going to be eaten by large spider. Fucking run.'' Or in shorter terms. Fuck this. I feel the adrenaline rush and I turn on my foot, running into the tunnel. I really have no choice. I can hear the crashing as the spider fights it's way into the tunnel with me. I can feel my tears stream down my cheeks but I keep running. Ignoring the burning in my throat and tightening in my chest. It's getting darker and darker and I have no form of night sight, but I do see a brief light ahead. Maybe it's people. I trip and briefly stumble, I don't dare look back. I gashed my hand on something as I reached out to hold myself up. Ignoring the pain and the constant burning. I just run. There it is, the light! Another flash. The spider hisses and clicks behind me, it's having trouble moving down the tunnel. It's getting narrower, but that just means I have more of a chance to live. I've never been so scared in my life. I'm crying and I don't give a shit.

The light disappears and I cry out. No! It can't go. I urge myself to run faster still, my socks catching on the rubble and stones. I come to the end of the tunnel and end up falling down a massive hill like slope. I've come to the main cavern and the ladder to the tunnel I exited seems to have broken. I can hear voices as I fall and I whimper as I reach the bottom. Ow. Ow, ow. I look up and see a group of people, one of them holding some sort of torch.

'Oh. Well. Wasn't expecting that,' the man said. I pull myself onto my knees and whimper again in pain, coughing from the dust. I look up at them and mentally sigh.

'Is she alright?' A red headed woman asks.

Now, I don't trust strangers. Not after what happened to my twin. Two years ago, she was taken from me, a year ago she was declared dead, seeing as the police can't find any trace of her. My life ended that day. All hope of finding her, torn from me. Hence the depression. But, between spider and strangers? Strangers win, hands down. I cough and try to get to my feet, yelping. I've fucked my ankle. So I stay where I am, sitting in the dirt.

'What's the matter?' The man asks, a cascade of small rocks from the tunnel I fell from answers his question. He looks up and directs his light to the mouth and sighs. 'Oh great,' he says simply looking at the woman. 'Find Anders and Fenris. This thing looks like it's crawled out the arse crack of the fade.' He says dryly. The spider hisses angrily as it crawls onto the ceiling. I can't do anything by shake and pull my ragtag blanket around me as the adrenaline wears off. He looks at me, the light means I can't see him, but I'm guessing he can see me perfectly well. 'I wasn't expecting you at all. But half expected another spider. Just not one that looks like it could take on dragons,' he jokes. I simply gape at him. Does he not realise the danger we're in?

'Hawke. Oh. That explains it,' a deep voice says simply. I look in the direction, two more men and the woman have returned from a tunnel. The spider is on the ceiling hissing angrily. The group of people seem totally at ease.

'Well, we also have another problem,' the man called Hawke says motioning with his head to me. Me? How am I a problem? Okay I may have attracted the damn thing, but that wasn't my fault so to speak. I feel them look at me and I try to make myself as small as possible.

'But-' The other man who was previously quiet speaks up. Blonde I think he is.

'Aye, I know.' Hawke says cryptically. What? What does he know? I scream mentally. The woman sighs and punches Hawke lightly on the arm.

'Spider first. Woman second,' she says simply. Then to my horror she pulls a small war axe and shield from her back. The others do the same, the white haired man unsheathes a massive sword and the blonde takes out a staff. What in the name of living fuck is going on? I simply sit, shocked and unable to say anything as these four crazy people lunge themselves at the spider which leaps from the ceiling. I whimper as I hold my hands over my eyes. I don't want to be here, I really don't want to be here. My heart stops as I hear hissing again, but this time right next to me. I risk a look and see a smaller spider, but the size of a dog. I open my mouth to scream, but it's cut off as the spider literally explodes. I'm covered in spider gloop and I look at Hawke, the man that just popped the damn thing. My heart stops for a moment and I pass out.

…

'She's gone, totally out,' Anders says checking her over. 'Ankle is twisted badly and she's got a nasty cut on her hand. I can heal those easily enough,' he says as he begins to do so. Hawke nods and looks at Aveline, who shrugs.

'You tell me,' she says simply.

'I really wasn't expecting that to happen.' Hawke replies. 'Not the whole passing out thing, I mean I totally expected that. I'm talking about-'

'What is she?' Fenris asks simply, interrupting him. 'Demon?'

'No, I don't feel any trace of the fade on her. At all. She's as linked to the fade as Varric is, meaning, fuck all,' he replies. He watches as Anders finishes healing her. 'It's strange, to say the least,' he shrugs.

'What are we going to do with her? I mean she doesn't exactly fit in, dressed like that and she's not going to survive out here on her own,' Aveline says simply. 'We'll have to take her home with us.'

'She can't stay with me, I don't want people thinking she's a relative, not with what happened to Bethany and Carver. I don't think mother would be too happy,' Garrett sighs. 'She can't stay with Anders, he's got enough attention as it is. Merrill is definitely a no-no, especially not in an Alienage. A young human woman, living with an elf? Mayhem. As for Sebastian, I don't think the Chantry would appreciate a stray woman staying. Isabela and Varric? As happy as they would be to take her, I don't think it's the best place,' Hawke sighs heavily. 'Which just leaves-'

'No,' his reply comes simply.

'What? You want to leave her here?' Hawke asks.

'I will not play babysitter.' Fenris says crossing his arms. 'I refuse.'

Hawke laughs and wipes his eyes dramatically as he wraps an arm around Fenris' shoulder, ignoring the automatic flinch that went through the elf. 'Oh Fenris, friend. I'm not giving you a choice,' he grins.

'I am not yours to command,' Fenris says narrowing his eyes with a flat tone.

'True, but you owe me,' he says, his smile getting larger.

'Hawke...' Fenris says rubbing his eyes. 'You... you are infuriating. Fine. I will house the woman. For now.'

'That's what I thought. Thanks friend,' Hawke laughs hugging him and completely disregarding the uncomfortable contact that Fenris was feeling. 'I knew I could count on you,' he adds. Fenris simply grunts in return, pushing him away.

'The bigger problem we've got on our hands is how to we tell her?' Aveline says.

'Tell her what?' Hawke says raising a brow.

Anders sighs. 'How do we tell her that we recognise her? Because not two months ago, another woman appeared that looks identical to her?' He says bluntly. 'Idiot.'

'Oh. That,' Hawke says rubbing his beard as he thinks.

'Not identical,' Fenris says simply. 'The other has hazel eyes.' He avoids looking at Aveline who was sending a rather pointed look at him. 'I notice things,' he says defensively.

'Oh, like the eye colours of beautiful women that happen to appear?' Garrett teases. 'Fenris, I'm surprised at you,' he laughs.

'It is not like that, Hawke,' Fenris says simply. 'Venhedis.' He mutters under his breath folding his arms and refusing to look at any of them. Aveline actually giggles and nudges his arm, making him look even more sour. Anders rolls his eyes and nods at Garrett who picks the woman up.

'Well, regardless, we had get her back to the city. I don't want her to wake up anytime soon and flip out,' he says simply. 'If she's from the same place as Hazel than I will imagine her reaction will be the same,' he sighs as he begins to walk out the tunnel.

'You're lucky Varric isn't here Fenris,' Aveline chuckles. 'He'd have half a book by now, he'd be writing furiously.' She says as she follows Garrett and Anders.

Fenris scowls, 'it would be hard to write with broken fingers,' he replies tartly before looking up to where the woman appeared. Problems just seem to be dropping on him now. He was worried what else was going to happen. Life was complicated enough.

**Guess you all saw the ''twist'' happen xD Well, don't worry story isn't going to be as depressing as the first bit. If you liked it, please review and let me know. **


	2. Chapter 2

**I normally wait until I've had a review or two before posting the second chapter, but I wrote this while my internet was down and thought, why not? So here you are. **

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 2 – This is nuts<span>

They were halfway to Kirkwall when Rowan woke up. She was being carried by Hawke in the bridal style. She blinked wearily, her head pounded and even her eyes ached. She looked at Hawke, who winked at her. She promptly screamed and punched him in the face. He yelped and dropped her. Rowan cried out in pain as she fell to the rough track but it didn't stop her. She looked at the others who were walking with the strange man that had been carrying her. The woman looked amused, the white haired man looked sour, Rowan had an idea that he always wore that expression. The blonde looked concerned, but merely tilted his head. Ignoring the fact that the man behind her was clutching his nose and swearing heavily, blood dripping between his fingers. She got to her feet and ran. In the opposite direction.

'Fuck me she hits like a dwarf!' Garrett cursed loudly.

'Well, I think you scared her,' Anders says softly. Aveline looks at the woman who was running away incredibly quickly.

'She's pretty nippy, we had better catch her before she finds herself in more trouble,' Aveline says reasonably, looking at Fenris.

'What is it, woman?' He says simply shrugging.

'Go on. Fetch,' Aveline laughs. Fenris scowls at her and simply rolls his eyes looking at the woman running away.

'I am not-'

'Go on, go get her like the dog you are,' Anders says nastily. Fenris glares at him in anger and even raises his fist to hit him but Garrett interrupts them.

'For fucks sake Fenris! Go get her before I hit you! You're the only one fucking well fast enough to catch her at this distance!' He screams in pain. He finally looks at them, blood down his front and over his mouth. He wasn't that type of mage, he couldn't heal, and he didn't have enough mana to teleport. Anders shook his head and his hand lit up in healing magic. Fenris sighed heavily and looked at Aveline who held out her hand for his sword, which he grudgingly gave over.

'Very well. I will go get her,' he says simply.

…

I can't breathe properly, my chest burns. I keep running though. I'm glad Hazel convinced me to start running all those years ago. I kept it up even when she went missing. It helped me on bad days. I would plug in my music and just run until I was too tired to give a shit. But I don't have any music right now, I know why I'm running and it's not because I'm trying to get away from my feelings. There was a strange man carrying me, and then he winked at me. So I reflexively punched him.

I look behind me, they don't seem to be chasing me. I run over the sand dunes, skidding down the slopes. The forest is quite a way behind me it seemed. They must have been carrying me for a while... hold on. I stop in my tracks. I had a bad ankle and I was hungover. Now I've just got a headache. I look at my hand, where I had cut it. There's nothing but a small scar. What the fuck? I inhale deeply, trying to catch my breath when I hear the sand shift behind me. I look over my shoulder and saw the tall, white haired man. He looked directly at me, a grumpy look on his face. I feel my heart tighten in panic.

…

'Woman!' Fenris calls. 'Stay there,' he says simply. Then swears under his breath as the woman takes off like a hare. She was quite fast, it was true. It had taken a while for him to catch up and he was lucky she had stopped for whatever reason. He swore again as he slid down the sand, it was a warm day and the grains were hot between his toes. He wasn't in the mood to be hunting down some strange woman who seemed determined to leave. If she didn't want to be with them, he saw no reason why they should bother trying to get her to follow. But, he owed Hawke a debt and if this was one way to repay it, he would suck it up and get on with it. He began to chase this woman and made great distance on the sand.

'Leave me alone!' She screamed at him, as she looked over her shoulder to see that he was gaining.

Believe me, woman. I would if I could, Fenris thought to himself dryly. She had no idea how to run on sand and she kept stumbling. When Fenris finally caught hold of her arm, she tripped and fell straight to the floor, taking him with her. She yelped and he grunted in pain as they landed in a heap.

'Ow, fucking hell,' she moaned. Fenris coughed sand out of his mouth and held her wrist tightly.

'Venhedis, woman, just stay still,' he curses as he gets up, pulling her with him. She kicked him in the shins and tried to twist out of his grip. 'Cease your constant moving,' he said annoyed.

'Leave me alone!' She simply said in tears. She threw a punch at him and he grabbed her other wrist, now he had both her hands restrained. He felt a little guilty, she was clearly confused and disorientated. He sighed and let one hand go as he ran his fingers through his hair, dislodging sand. She stuttered and pointed.

'Your... your ears!' She yelped, still pointing at him and gaping. He looked at her, confusion on his face.

'What about them?' He says simply, raising a brow.

'You are...you're a... you're an elf,' she said breathlessly as she passed out. He thanked his quick reflexes as he caught her and simply held her upright.

'Oh. Venhedis!' He spat. He looked at her in annoyance and sighed as he pulled her over his shoulder. She was light, too light in his mind. Not that he actually cared, but she was clearly malnourished. He shook his head of these strange notions, and sighed. Now he had to get back to the others and hope that she didn't wake again, or that they get attacked.

…

'Now she's easily spooked,' Garrett said grinning.

'Yes. I know that. I was the one that tracked her down, do not forget,' Fenris says simply. They were in his mansion, she was in the bedroom upstairs, lain on one of the only non-broken beds. She had been asleep for six days. Anders made her sleep for longer so that they could try and see if she was a demon in form. She wasn't. Garrett grins. His nose was healed but he had a slight crook in the arch. He held no bad feelings towards her, he was rather satisfied at her reaction. Meant that she had instincts. 'She fainted when she realised I was an elf,' he said rolling his eyes and folding his arms.

'Aye, unlike her... let's say twin for now. Who grabbed you and tried pulling them off, claiming them to be fake,' Garrett laughed. 'That was a funny day,' he smiles.

'The stupid woman almost lost her life,' Fenris pointed out. He had almost killed her, his markings lit up in defence and he nearly tore out her throat in reflex. Garrett had saved her by pulling her from him and pushing Fenris away, hard.

'Aww lighten up,' Garrett smiles. 'Besides, Hazel is sweet. She's just a little energetic,' he says fondly.

'She is reckless and often daydreams,' Fenris points out. 'Oblivious to danger and gets into trouble more often than needed,' he mutters.

'She looks just like this woman,' Garrett says simply, ignoring Fenris' pointed glare. 'Now, I'm leaving Vashka here,' he says looking at his Mabari. She sits up and licks his fingers in response. 'When she wakes up Vashka will come get me, and I'll explain things to her. Don't tell her about Hazel, it might freak her out a bit,' he says simply. 'People don't like being told they've got a doppelgänger.'

'Why can you not just stay here and wait till she wakes up?' Fenris says simply. He leant against the fireplace and ran his hand over his face in weariness. She was supposed to wake soon and so he hadn't had to worry about her until today. The other woman, Hazel, he found annoying and too ditzy. He hadn't met this woman properly, her habit of fainting made that difficult, but he felt already, a little protective of her. It frustrated him. He found himself checking up on her and brushing her hair out of her eyes as the days went on. The first two days he simply ignored her, then he wandered into her room on a whim and found himself simply watching her sleep.

'Because I have a meeting with my mother and she'll kill me if I miss this painting sitting again,' he says simply. 'She didn't appreciate me arriving last time covered in blood. At least this time I look presentable,' he adds. He subconsciously touches his nose. 'Mostly, anyway,' he chuckles.

'I see,' Fenris says simply. Garrett laughs lightly and pats him on the shoulder.

'Don't worry. Just smile and show her that winning personality of yours,' he teases. He dodges Fenris' punch and teleports next to the door. He waves goodbye and disappears, shutting the door behind him. Fenris felt it was shutting out his sanity as it swung closed.

'Oh why did I agree to this?' He mutters to himself. He looks up the stairs and tilts his head. She was quiet at least, unlike the other one. He had probably go check on her. Make sure that she was still breathing. 'Come on,' he said to Vashka who perked her ears up and yapped happily. He slowly made his way up the stairs. Yes, it was quiet. Too quiet. He trod lightly as he went from step to step and shifted his weight evenly across the wooden floorboards. He didn't make a sound, he knew he didn't so he was shocked when she came skidding out the door holding a piece of broken wood as a weapon.

'Who the fuck are you and why the fuck am I here?!' She demanded shakily. Fenris simply grabbed the wood and pulled it from her grip. It didn't take much strength to do so. She faltered trying to hang on to it, but gave up when it meant she got too close to him. 'What do you want from me?!' She added backing away into the door frame. Vashka barked happily, bounding up from the lobby. She took one look at the dappy Mabari and screamed. She ran into the bedroom and slammed the door. Fenris looked at Vashka with a raised brow. Okay, clearly she was terrified of dogs. Vashka licked her snout and panted with the soppy love that dogs carry. She barked again before running down the stairs and clawing open the door to get Hawke.

'Open the door or I will open it forcefully,' Fenris says as he leans against the door.

'Leave me alone! I just want to go home,' she replies simply.

'I would rather you go home. You are a burden I would rather not have,' he says honestly. He got silence in reply and so he rolled his eyes and used his shoulder to break the lock on the door easily. He opened the door to find the woman trying to climb out the window. He swore and ran over, pulling her in.

'No! Leave me alone!' She screamed kicking out as he wrapped his arms around her waist and dragged her back into the room.

'Would you stop already!?' He shouted back at her, dropping her rather ungracefully on the bed. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. 'You have done nothing but scream and shout, your voice is incredibly high pitched and you are making my head ache. Please, for the love of the maker, shut up!' He said simply as he snapped at her. She looked at him in shock and her mouth hung open a little. 'Ut sitis venustas sed tu es eodem tempore oneri,' he mutters to himself. She tilted her head at his foreign tongue.

'I just-'

'Enough, woman,' he said simply. 'I have killed abominable sized spiders, hunted you down and am currently charged with baby sitting you. I do this to repay a debt to someone, I actually call a friend, though I do not know why.' He mutters rubbing his eyes.

'Are you going to hurt me?' She mumbles pulling her knees up to her chest. Fenris chuckles dryly shaking his head.

'I do not even want you here. No one will hurt you. Believe it or not, woman, they wish to help you,' he says simply. He watches her expression as it hardened, she was a little defiant, her random acts of bravery but she buckled when confronted. Much unlike the other woman they found.

'Rowan,' she replied tartly. 'My name is Rowan.'

He raised a brow and looked at her through his fringe. 'Rowan,' he repeated. A slight blush appeared across her cheeks as he said her name. He tilted his head, properly looking at her. She was too skinny and gaunt, her body almost lifeless. He had no doubt that if she was healthier she would be putting up more of a fight. Her hair was a lot longer than Hazel's and had a slight curl. It was darker as well. But it was her eyes that caught him, the colour was striking, they were also alert and piercing. She held his gaze, moment for moment. She may have physically backed down, but mentally she defied him for every heart beat.

'May I interrupt?' Garrett says at door. Fenris coughed, embarrassed. Rowan jumped and backed as far up the bed as she could. 'Well my dear, it's nice to see you finally awake,' he adds as he walks in the room, Vashka bounding in with him. Rowan yelped and tried to climb out the window beside the bed again. Fenris ran forward to grab her. Having to ignore her flails as Vashka bounced around his feet, making Rowan cry and scream.

'Hawke! She is scared of your Mabari!' He says trying to restrain her.

'Get it away! Please!' She wept aiming for the window with clingy fingers, but also holding onto Fenris for dear life. Hawke pulled a face but grabbed Vashka by the scruff gently, but firmly putting her out and shutting the door. Vashka whined and scratched at the wood but quietened when Hawke scolded her. Rowan relaxed visibly and stopped trying to claw her way out the room. Fenris held her for a moment, as she began to hiccup from crying. Garrett sighed and rubbed his eyes.

'Better now?' He asks softly. Rowan looked at Fenris and her blush erupted, Fenris realised the position he was in, his arms wrapped around her, and let her go quickly. Hawke chuckled as he saw them both. She was bright red and hiccuping, trying to wipe away her tears and he was slightly pink around the ears, looking at the floor. 'I'm sorry, Rowan,' he said smiling, he had overheard her say her name. 'I was unaware that dogs frightened you.'

'I just... had a bad experience as a kid,' she mumbles, through a hiccup which made Hawke smile more.

'Apologies, I'll make sure that Vashka stays at a distance,' he says reassuringly. 'I'm also sorry for scaring you when you woke on the trail,' he adds. 'Although you did get me back good.'

'I'm sorry about that... I just.. panicked,' Rowan mumbled. She didn't like the man that was speaking, well, she didn't trust him. She didn't trust the elf either, but he seemed kind enough. Harsh and blunt, but honest. This other one, he was too forward. Flirty. Her sister would have liked him, she was always going for the bad boy type and he had it written all over him.

'Now, don't be afraid, we mean you no harm. My name is Garrett Hawke,' he smiles with a slight bow. 'My elven friend here is called Fenris,' he says motioning towards him. She looks at him.

'Fenris?' She repeats. He wears a strange half smile that Hawke didn't recognise. He looked like he was amused, Hawke made mental plans. Fenris, like Hawke, gave her a small bow. Hawke watched her carefully as the pink returned to her cheeks.

'Rowan, what I may tell you may come as to a bit of a shock, but we have come to the conclusion that you're not from this world,' Garrett says simply. She nods and sits back on the side of the bed. She fiddled with her top and sighs.

'Yeah, I thought that when I saw the giant spiders,' she mumbles. 'Where am I?'

'You are in Kirkwall,' Fenris answers for Garrett. 'It is in Thedas, a city,' he adds. She nods and rubs her eyes.

'I guess I'm quite far from home,' she says quietly.

'Aye, my dear. We do not know if we can get you back,' Garrett says honestly. Rowan shrugs and wipes her eyes, removing the tears that had begun to fall.

'There's no point. I wasn't happy there,' she admits. 'It's not like much would change here, but I wouldn't be reminded everyday of what I lost,' she sighs. 'Thank you but, I will just start again I suppose.'

'You do not wish to go home?' Fenris says curiously.

'Like I said. I lost what was important to me there. I mean I'll leave a few friends but I was just a miserable burden to them in the end anyway,' she replies matter-of-factly. She didn't say it in a pitying way, just stated it. 'They'll think me dead and mourn, but time heals all wounds, so I've been told. They'll get on fine.'

Garrett tilted his head. 'May I ask what you lost?' He said softly. Fenris moved silently across the room, to the unlit fireplace, where he looked into the mirror that hung there. He could look at her, but not directly. He saw her shoulders drop but she hid it well and looked at Garrett, a blank look on her face.

'My sister,' she says quietly. 'She was taken from me.'

'I'm sorry, I know what it is like to lose a sibling,' Garrett says understandingly.

'She was my other half, my twin. We were the same soul, simply split into two,' Rowan says with a slight half giggle. It made no difference that she was telling them, they were either going to hurt her or not. She figured that if they were going to, they would have by now. Also, she my not trust them, but that didn't mean that she couldn't be civil at least. 'She was always the hyper, daydreaming, the reckless one, climbing trees and getting into trouble. I was the quiet, calm, sensible one. Reading books and getting her out of the trouble she got in,' she smiles as she remembers. Fenris felt his stomach drop, it explained a lot. Things just became more complicated. 'She went to work one day, two years ago, and simply vanished. They never found her. Not a trace.' She shrugged. 'They declared her dead about a year ago, and my life just ended. I didn't, and don't cope very well.'

'Two years ago?' Garrett repeats. Rowan simply nods and wipes her eyes again. Garrett looked at her with new eyes. Her slim figure and bags under her eyes now had meaning. He shared a glance with Fenris, they found Hazel two months ago. Could time move differently between worlds? Seemed like it.

'You are welcome to stay here for as long as you like,' Fenris says quietly. Garrett's jaw dropped open and he simply stared at his friend. Rowan looked at Fenris and smiled properly, shyly, but with feeling. Garrett chuckled and walked across the room grabbing Fenris by the arm and dragging him out the room.

'A moment, my dear,' he says simply, shutting the door behind him. 'Fenris, did I hear you correctly?' He asks with a slight laugh of shock. Fenris pulls his arm from Garrett's grip and raises a brow.

'Hazel is her sister, it is clear as day,' Fenris replies simply. 'The woman is ill and needs care. She will not get peace anywhere else in Kirkwall.'

'Aye, I'm getting that. But you didn't want to babysit,' Garrett points out. 'So you're going to be the one to look after her?'

'She is different from her sister. When she is calm she is quiet, and does not insist on pulling my ears or hair, or trying to get my markings to react,' he explains. 'As long as you keep Vashka away she is reasonably pleasant. Also, you said this would repay my debt and I do not wish to be in your debt any longer than needed.'

'Oh I see. You fancy her,' he chuckles.

'I-I do not. I just.. she reminds me of how I felt when I first came to Kirkwall. Lost and confused,' he says simply.

'So you do have a heart under that armour,' Garrett teases. Fenris folds his arms and glares at his friend. He didn't know what had come over him. He was still annoyed that he was saddled with the responsibility of looking after some random woman, but she had a different personality to her sister. He had no doubt that she would infuriate him just as much, but it might be bearable. Vashka sat up and perked her ears up. Garrett looked at her, 'what's up girl?'

'Hey elf! Is Hawke here?' A woman's voice called. 'Yo. Fen-Fen!' A female giggle carried up the stairs. Fenris and Garrett froze. 'Haven't seen you in days, elf. Whatcha doing? Hiding away like the lil emo elf you are?'

'Shit!' Garrett cursed. 'Vashka no!' He said as the hound bounced down the stairs. Fenris went to grab her but missed.

'Ah! There you are mutt!' She laughed as she ran up the stairs to meet the dog. 'Hey where's your master? Oh there he is, and there's Fenny-Foo,' she giggles.

'Do not call me that,' he states simply. 'My name is Fenris.' She giggles and shakes her head as she bathes the hound in love and stroking.

Garrett grins and holds the bedroom door shut with his hand. 'Oh hey, sugar,' he says quietly, smiling nervously. 'Uh, why aren't you at the Hanged man with Isabela?' He asks.

'I wanted to see you, fool,' she giggles again. 'Hey. What you hiding in there?' She smiles, her eyes with a cheeky glint.

'Hazel, you must leave,' Fenris says in a whisper. 'You cannot be here,' he adds.

'What? Why? What are you guys hiding from me?' She asks curiously. 'Ooh. Is it a surprise?' She tries to push past Hawke but he stands firm. He gives her a serious look and shakes his head.'Is this why you've been hiding away for days on end?' She asks Fenris. 'Y'know it's not my birthday for like another month,' she grins.

'Please sugar, this isn't the time,' he says softly, but seriously. Hazel pouts but sighs.

'Okay, okay,' she mumbles. 'Fine, I'm going. I can see where I'm not wanted,' she adds. Hawke pinches her cheek and makes her giggle again, Fenris winces. The woman was so loud and Garrett wasn't helping. He was sure that Rowan would hear. It wouldn't be good if she discovered her sister alive after all this time. They would try to break it to her gently. Try to anyway. Garrett smiled and moved away from the door and took Hazel's hand to go down the stairs. Too soon, Fenris saw the look in her eyes. She darted from Garrett and tore the door open.

'What's in here then? I mean it must...have...been...' She said before she registered what she was seeing. 'R-Rowan?'

Fenris ran inside the room just in time to see Rowan stand up from the bed. She could hear voices but the room was large and it hadn't carried well. She'd convinced herself that she was hearing a familiar voice, but dismissed it as her imagination. She looked at Fenris, then to Hazel. Garrett was still outside the room, keeping Vashka at bay.

'I don't... Hazel?' Rowan said, her voice breaking.

'Rowan!' She said happily. 'You made it here!' She clapped her hands.

'Hazel wait, there's something you do not understand,' Fenris says wanting to grab the stupid woman and drag her out. The thought of the physical contact made him wince and defer from it, he settled for just getting in between the women. Rowan looked like she was going to be sick, her face was more pale than usual and she had opened her mouth, but no words came out.

'What couldn't I understand? She's finally here!' Hazel says, going to run forward to embrace her sister. Hawke having finally calmed Vashka, he ran in and grabbed Hazel around the waist, picking her up and dragging her out, despite her protests. Rowan simply blinked slowly, Fenris looked at her, concerned. Rowan held her hand up to her mouth and made a slight retching noise. She then ran to the nearest receptacle, which happened to be a chamberpot in the far corner. It was empty, this room wasn't used. Fenris walked over to her as she was violently ill into the pot. He crouched beside her, he didn't know how to comfort someone in this position so he settled for just holding back her hair from her face. Her curls were soft in his fingers and as he wasn't touching her, so his markings weren't irritated. She coughed and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

'D-Do you have anything to drink?' Rowan mumbles.

'I have only wine in this room,' Fenris says apologetically. He had half a bottle sitting on the fireplace, it was from a random night that he was wandering around the mansion. It wouldn't taste particularly nice, but it was probably better than the taste that she had in her mouth. He got up and collected it. Passing it to her. She took it with a shaking hand as she sat back on her knees. Taking a sip she pulled a face and washed the liquid around her mouth. Spitting it into the pot she pushed it away.

'All...all this time,' Rowan mumbled holding the bottle weakly. Fenris took the wine and took her arm, helping her up. He lead her to the bed and she sat down numbly.

'Actually, Rowan,' Fenris says softly. 'See, you say that... Hazel, she has been missing for two years, yes?' He asks seeing her nod. 'For us, Hazel has only been here for two months,' he reveals. 'She has no idea that you think that she's been dead.' Rowan didn't say anything and simply bowed her head. Fenris tilted his head and was just about to say her name to try and get a reaction from her when he saw that her shoulders were shaking. She was crying again.

'She's...alive,' Rowan sobbed. She fell sideways into his chest, her sobs shaking her small frame. Fenris was way out of his bounds here. He had no idea what to do. This was a whole new territory.

…

'What the fuck are you one about?' Hazel says. They're standing outside, Vashka being petted behind the ears by Hazel. Garrett rubbed his eyes and sighed.

'Rowan, for the last two years, has had to live with the thought that you've been dead,' he says simply. Hazel gasps and sits heavily on the stone bench they were standing next to.

'Oh my god, no,' she whimpers. 'I mean, I knew that for a few months she'd be worried sick about me, but I was sure she was going to get here, I mean she was going to be angry at me for disappearing. But, it wasn't supposed to be that long! I knew she was coming!' Hazel says angrily.

'You knew?' Garrett repeats.

'Yeah, the woman that brought me here said that she'd bring Rowan as well, but she'd need a while to recharge her, like, powers,' Hazel shrugged. 'But, I didn't think it would take two fucking years, or like, well, anything near that!'

'Hazel! You didn't think you would need to tell us something like that?!' Garrett said frowning. 'Fucking hell. If she had been found by the wrong people,' he adds. 'She was being chased by spiders when we found her!' He reveals. Hazel pulled a face.

'Ugh, those damn things,' Hazel shuddered and winced.

'Aye, those damn things. Hazel, please, I know you're excited to see her, but she's ill. Look at her, she's been beating herself up for two years, she's thin and depressed.' Garrett pats her on the shoulder fondly. 'We will take care of her, she'll get healthier and you can see her, but just try to be understanding. This is going to be hard for her. She's going to feel like you abandoned her.'

'Yeah, I get it,' Hazel nods. 'I've missed her so much in the last two months. She's always been the strong one,' she mumbles stroking Vashka. 'If I didn't know she was coming here, I would be tearing out my hair. I finally feel that I'm whole, knowing she's here,' she laughs. She ruffles Garrett's hair and grins. 'You big oaf. Thank you for finding her,' she adds smiling.

'You're lucky we did, sugar. But, it was quite a shock seeing her for the first time,' he laughs lightly.

'Yeah, I know. But, I'm glad you did,' she adds.

…

'I'm sorry, Fenris. I have been nothing but miserable,' Rowan says softly, pulling herself from his chest. He had awkwardly patted her on the back as she cried but couldn't bring himself to comfort anymore than that.

'I understand. In a way,' he says simply. His markings itched and he wanted to move but mentally bit down on the urge. Rowan wiped her eyes and took the bottle that he had put on the floor, taking a sip and wincing.

'Are you really okay with babysitting me?' She asks lightly.

'Are you going to be as shocked when you see a dwarf, as you were when you discovered I was an elf?' He replies with a chuckle.

'Depends,' she giggles lightly. 'Are they going to hunt me down and tackle me to the sand?' Fenris gives her a half smile and shakes his head. He realises that he feels far too comfortable with this woman and his walls slam down and his face goes blank. Rowan was too busy looking at the wine bottle to notice. He had to change the subject.

'Why...are you afraid of dogs?' He asks curiously.

'I had an incident as a kid,' she repeats, rolling up her sleeve. There was a large, nasty bite mark, a scar along her forearm. 'I can't use this hand properly. Sometimes it seizes up and cramps.' She says simply. 'An large dog, mixed breed. It was in pain and I was a child. I didn't recognise the signs. Didn't understand them. I got bitten as you can see and I just... freak out when I see large dogs. I say that, I mean I can't even stand the little ones,' she sighs.

'I see,' Fenris nods. 'Hazel is not afraid of dogs,' he says quietly.

'No, she loved them,' Rowan smiles. 'I mean... loves. She loves them,' Rowan corrects herself and smiles broadly. 'Oh Fenris. I... I will never feel as happy as I do now. Realising that she.. she's alive,' she says closing her eyes.

'Would you like to see her?' Fenris asks. Rowan looks at him and nods.

'Please Fenris, I would. I really, really would,' she says a slight tremor in her voice. Fenris nods, making her smile, he felt his heart pause for a moment. The light in her eyes, it burnt bright. He couldn't help but smile in return.

'Then I will just be a moment,' he says softly.

'I've waited two years, I'll wait a few moments more,' she replies.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, yeah. Please drop a review to let me know if I should continue.<strong>


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